Pilot Journey Forums

I flew when I was about 14 years old, then stopped, and now that I'm 22 out of college and making money, I want to get back into it. Where should I start again? How much is it going to cost me, and what can I do once I have my license? How much does it cost to do "weekend" trips, can I quickly become an instructor?

Thank you for reading, I hope someone can help.

Jeremy

It will depend on a few factors.  One factor being where you live.  If you live in a more rural area, it will probably be cheaper to rent the aircraft.  The flip side, is the instructors may not have as much expirience as a larger more metropolitan area.  Another factor is going to be what type of plane is offered for primary instruction  Most flight schools use older equipment, but that is quickly changing and fleets are replacing 1960's-1970's aircraft for late 90's and newer aircraft (say a $50K capital investment vs. $300K capital investment).  For instance an older, well kept C-172 can go for $60-90 depending on equipment and location in the country.  A 2006 C-172 will probably go for $125+ per hour. 

Also, the type of aircraft the flight school offers will affect the cost.  Some may offer only one brand/manufacturer (i.e. Cessna Flight Training Centers offer Cessna products), while others (most) offer a wider variety.  One of the most prominent aircraft for primary training is C172.  Others include Piper Cherokee's and Diamond Katana's.  For more advanced primary training, other schools offer Cirrus SR20/SR22.  I say more advanced because, these aircraft are faster and always come with advanced avionics.  We offered our SR20 at about $160/ hour and the SR22 at $200/ hour.

Anyway, once you find a school in your area, you can count on these costs:  minimum of 40 flight hours (usually 55-70 hours before checkride).  Minimum of 20 hours instruction, probably more like 60. (BTW, instructors go from $25-60/hour, depending on location and aircraft used).  Study materials, charts, misc items can go from about $100 up to $500 for the basics.  You can find some of the stuff used on E-bay, Amazon, AOPA, or the like.  You can also spend much more if you opt for DVD's and get more than the basics.  Headset (highly recommended, but most schools will "rent" headsets for a nominal fee) can go from $150-$1000.  Medical usually $70-100.  Checkride fee, if you use a DPE, $250-350.

Hope this helps.  Also, you may qualify for student loans or VA benefits.  If you think you may, check it out before taking your first lesson (the government gets real picky in this situation).  If this fails, there are still finance options such as Sallie Mae.

Brian